Rituel De Fille as a brand has captivated me since I first saw their display in Credo in San Francisco. Their witchy-chic vibe was so strikingly different from anything I've seen in the green beauty space, and I was captivated.

Over the past few months, I've been collecting pieces of their collection, a highlighter here, an eye soot there, and I've gotten along with almost everything I've tried. Their products do, however, have a learning curve, and take a little bit of patience to work with.

I've purchased all Ash and Ember Eye Soots in the neutral family. Boring, maybe, but neutral eyeshadows are the ones I use on a daily basis and I wanted to show you how they compare to each other- something I scoured the internet for, but couldn't find when I purchased these.

The shades from lightest to darkest:

Sigil - Beige with golden flecks. Reads pink, yet cool toned. Beautiful on top of any eyeshadow look.
Half Light - Cool taupe, satin, with almost purple undertones. The hardest to work with, as the texture is very firm.
Love Spell - Warm, rusty copper with fine shimmer. Brown enough to be considered neutral in my book, but strong red tones.
Golden Age - Golden brown with taupe undertones.

MY EXPERIENCE:

Formula: This is a completely unique formula, unlike anything I've ever tried. Some describe it as a cream-to-powder eyeshadow, but I disagree. The pigments are bound with a very small amount of oil, so they feel like slightly wet powders. Similar to Makeup Geek shimmer pigments, that you worry might fall out of the pan because they're softer and more wet than classic eyeshadow. When you press it firmly with a finger, the product moves, but not very much. It's a stiffer formula that feels like it would be long wearing.

Application: Natural hair bristles don't stand a chance with these (they won't pick up product). Even synthetic brushes don't play very well with these. Your best bet is to apply with a finger, gently patting and swiping to blend. Once on the lids, you can diffuse the color with a synthetic brush. These are my go-to for an everyday, 1-color smokey eye. Any one of these (except maybe Sigil) gives that sultry yet effortless looks when applied messily to the eyelid, and along the lower lash line.

Wear: At first, I thought these would be great without primer because the pigment sits so closely to the skin. However, without a primer these lasts about as long on me as a powder eyeshadow; 2-3 hours before creasing and fading. However, with an eye primer (I use TooFaced primer right now) it looks great all day, and lasts longer than even conventional eyeshadow like Mac or Kat Von D.

Scent: Golden Age and Half Light smell pleasantly like kiddie makeup to me. Reminds me of the Glossier Jelly Cleanser- a sort of plasticy rose. Couldn't tell you why, but I smells it!

IN SUMMATION:

I don't wear eyeshadow every day, but when I do, these are what I reach for. One color makes for the perfect quick, every-day smokey eye, and if you layer Sigil on top, adds a pop eye-catching golden shimmer. The formula and style of makeup these yield reminds me of Charlotte Tilbury's signature looks.

That being said, for one shadow it'll cost you $38. That might be enough for most of you to pass on these, but here's my counter: one of these could be your one-step daily eye look. For a girl on the go, or someone who needs to keep a small makeup bag to transition to nighttime makeup, this might be perfect. After a long work day, you can apply this in an Uber with your finger on the way to dinner in 3 minutes. Blink on some fresh mascara, and you're done.

The other thing to consider, is these are not MAC eyeshadows. These are extremely cleanly formulated, and are made without irritating preservatives or sketchy synthetic ingredients.

Pros:

Clean, innovative formula
Unique and beautiful color selection (that leans cool-toned)
Easy and fast to apply once you get the hang of it
Drool-over gorgeous packaging

Cons:

Expensive at $38
Might be frustrating to learn how to use- takes some trial and error
Packaging, while beautiful, is not very practical as you get to the bottom of the jar
Not all shades are vegan, so check before you buy!

What do you think of these shadows? Have you tried them before? Would you? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: Rituel De Fille Ash and Ember Eye Soot

The shades from lightest to darkest:

MY EXPERIENCE:

IN SUMMATION:

Sydney Hafen